Log: week 37 / 2019

Very run-of-the-mill comedy about a dad keeping two separate families. Gaffigan tries his best, but can't carry the film by himself. The comedy is mediocre, the drama doesn't really hit and the 90s setting has no real function besides retro-whoring. It's not a terrible film, but it's forgettable and should've been at least 20 minutes shorter.

Poorly animated retelling of Krabat's story. The animation feels cheap, the art style isn't very attractive either. The film never finds a good balance between the inherent darkness of the story and its target audience, making it a tough watch regardless of its short running time. A very disappointing animated classic.

A plot-driven but pleasantly directed crime/mystery that digs its claws deep into the Japanese justice system. Harada is a competent director and the cast does a fine job, but in the end the film doesn't really excite enough for a higher score. A little too dialogue-heavy for my taste, but certainly not a bad film.

A sequel from a director that got a little too confident over time. After all the praise for the first film, this is just more of the same, only everything is just slightly less impressive. Too long, not quite as scary any more and with an adult cast that isn't quite as involved. Not a bad film, just a little disappointing after the first one.

Holds up pretty well. A solid cast of young actors, an exceptional performance by Bill Skarsgård and some very nicely executed horror scenes. The film is still a little too long and the scares have lots a little of their impact the second time around, but it's still a very worthy adaptation of one of King's most notorious books.

Shallow and contradictory documentary on white privilege, where an entitled, female, white comedian is doing the rounds amongst blacks and whites to gather some rough impressions on the subject. The documentary lacks meaningful content, direction and persuasion, then again that seems the norm for this kind of tasteless filler.

A somewhat run-of-the-mill Shaw Bros production. The trademark elements of Yuen Chor are present, but the execution felt a bit lazy. The action scenes are a little dull, the fantasy look isn't entirely on point and the romance can't quite carry the film either. It's not a bad production, rather basic Shaw Bros filler that should only appeal to core fans only.

Delightful little film that takes the fake moon landing theory and piles on some additional absurdities. Larger than life characters, a Ritchie-like gangster story and an abundance of flower power weirdness all add up to a very amusing and entertaining film. A crazy genre bender that feels light and fresh, proving to be perfect filler.

Fronted by Herman Yau and Andy Lau, two Hong Kong legends seemingly unfazed by their industry's struggles. White Storm 2 is a classic Hong Kong police action/thriller, an ultimate stand-off between a criminal turned philanthropist and his former gang boss. Solid, but nothing too out of the ordinary, apart from the exceptional car chase at the end. Good fun.

Fruit Chan is a true Hong Kong veteran, even so this film feels like it was made by a freshman with a lot to learn still. The action is clunky, performances are weak and the pacing issues are plentiful. It's difficult to imagine someone with Chan's history would make something so sloppy. Not quite the worst of its kind, but no doubt a big disappointment.

Stylish and mysterious sci-fi that contrasts a small an intimate story against a world in peril. The film gears for a tricky balance between plot, atmosphere and abstract appeal, which Khvaleev executes with surprising precision. Involution is not without faults, but the good parts clearly outshine the problems. A very worthy sci-fi.

Sweet but sad. A follow-up of Shinkai's very first project, revisiting and expanding on the story of a girl and her cat. While this short is quite light on plot, the drama is touching and cat owners are sure to recognize a thing or two. Not quite as stunning as Shinkai's feature films, but a very sweet and adorable short that is very much on point.

A full-on lolita fever dream. Think Alice in Wonderland meets Japanese lolita meets K-Pop music videos meets high school drama. While the execution is terrific, the music is too one-note and the plot too incoherent. The film can't tear itself loose from its music video roots, which makes the 90-minute running time an unnecessary hurdle.

A very welcome and worthwhile experimental horror film that mirrors Tsukamoto work and embeds it into the underground (industrial) scene in Germany. The problem is that the film never feels quite coherent, rather it's a succession of hits and misses which doesn't really flow that well. The idea is sublime, the execution needs a little extra work.